Our addictions and mental health issues can take over our lives and make us feel like there is nothing to be happy about in life, nothing to redeem us, nothing to look forward to. When we are struggling, one of the best things we can do for ourselves is learn how to look for the good. This is a habit we can develop that can add to our happiness immeasurably. With practice, seeing the positive in a situation becomes second nature. We find that even when we are struggling, we can find happiness.
Seeing the good in things can be difficult when we’ve grown accustomed to seeing the negative. It requires some mental and emotional work that can feel unnatural. It can feel like we’re lying to ourselves, pretending something is true when it isn’t, or trying to force ourselves to believe something we actually don’t. The process of changing our perspective takes time, and it’s one of the most helpful things we can do for our recovery.
The next time you find yourself really struggling in a situation or feeling the weight of your difficult emotions, take a moment to see if there is a positive way you can frame things. How can you turn it around to find some good? You might have to dig for it, but it’s there. In our struggles lie miraculous possibilities for growth, expansion, learning, revelations, epiphanies, breakthroughs. When we look at our struggles closely, when we look within, when we listen to our inner voice, we can find powerful reserves of innate wisdom and guidance. When we feel depressed, we can transform “I am depressed” into “My pain is giving me the opportunity to heal.” We can take “I am an addict” and turn it into “I am on a journey to recovery.”
One of the most helpful ways to increase our happiness is to develop a gratitude practice. Listing the things you’re grateful for on a regular basis, even when it’s hard to find anything, trains your brain to find gratitude everywhere. Soon you’ll be seeing things you feel grateful for instinctively. It’s very hard to focus on our pain when we are giving our energy to gratitude. Choosing to focus on gratitude opens us up to receiving even more to be grateful for.
In the midst of our struggles, it is possible to find moments of happiness. With time and practice, we can grow and expand that happiness and allow it to power our recovery.
We want to help you find happiness! Call (800) 871-5440 for more information.